Michigan

Letter: Counting not voting as 'no' votes is not democratic

Labor union formation in the early 20th century resulted in many benefits to our country: the 8-hour work day, the 40-hour work week, elimination of child labor, work rules ensuring worker safety, security and equal-pay-for-equal-work for women, health care, pension plans and living wages with guaranteed increases to keep pace with inflation.

The union movement created a strong middle class with buying power. The United States emerged as the world's dominant economy and superpower. Unionization has always been despised by business leaders and their lackeys — Republicans.

A group of corporate-backed House lawmakers has pushed through legislation to start counting non-voters as "no" voters in union elections for airline and railway employees.

No other election in the world works this way. Write your legislators. Protest this outrageous gambit intended to further impoverish and suppress American workers. Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, now this? What next?